The Tasty Alternative: August 2013

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Snack Time: Sophisticated ~ Prosciutto Wrapped Figs w/ a Drizzle of Honey

While getting ready for a most recent play date, I thought it would be fun to give the mommies a little snack time treat, something a little...sophisticated. As I packed the usual homemade treat, apples, and carrot sticks for the kiddos, I also began wrapping some gorgeous figs with freshly cut prosciutto. A quick bake in the oven, with a little drizzle of honey, and perhaps the easiest and most delicious snack was born. I had a strong craving for something sweet and savory and this beyond satisfied. I was also quite pleased when my mommy friend raved about the flavor combination. They were delightful. I'm obsessed. I hope you will give these a try.

Prosciutto Wrapped Figs w/ a Drizzle of Honey

Ingredients:

-10 fresh Black Mission Figs

-1/3 pound fresh cut prosciutto (if you have it in your deli...it's cheaper to have it cut than buy it packaged)*

-Drizzle of honey

How To:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. Wash, dry, trim off the stem, and slice the figs in half

3. Remove the prosciutto from the fridge and layer them on top of one another

4. Cut down the middle to make two rows of prosciutto

5. Begin rolling up the figs in the prosciutto

6. Bake for 12 minutes

7. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes, then lightly drizzle with honey

Makes 20 little individual servings and best served at room temperature

Notes:

*Green Kitchen Tips: for the prosciutto, take a glass container (such as a Pyrex or glass lock n' locks) instead of having the prosciutto cut and put into paper packaging. Use Carebags instead of plastic bags for the figs.

*Utilize the deli! I don't think people use the deli for fresh cut meats. I never buy packaged meat, as it's cheaper to have it sliced in the deli, and I then have the green option of bringing in my own container and thus using less paper and plastic waste. Deli's will generally have prosciutto - go for a locally made variety (cheaper than the stuff from Italy too).

*Proscuitto drys out fast, so try and use it shortly after you buy it. It will last longer if stored in an airtight container.

Shared on: Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays Allergy Free Wednesdays,

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Allergy-Free Wednesdays Week 82: August 28, 2013

Hello and welcome to Allergy-Free Wednesdays (AFW).

AFW is a weekly blog hop where folks can share their allergy-free cuisine, gain knowledge about allergy-related topics/issues, and connect with others living or caring for someone with food allergies.

What can I link-up on AFW?

We welcome allergy-free cuisine in any shape or form
Tips & allergy related articles/information are welcome
Food allergies, intolerances, and sensitivities all welcome
Rules & Guidelines *Please provide a link directly to your post (not your homepage).
Please provide a link back to our weekly blog hop somewhere in your post.
Please provide a description of your recipe, such as DF (dairy free), GF (gluten free), SF (sugar free), V (vegan), etc.
Recipes do not have to be free of all common allergens, just allergy-free in some way.
TWO weekly submissions max please.
Grab yourself a badge and help support Allergy-Free Wednesdays and the allergy-free community.
Entries that don’t comply with stated rules and guidelines will be respectfully removed.

Please leave a comment after you link-up and tell us about your weekly submission(s). We love to hear from you!

By linking up, you agree that I may make use of any applicable pictures in my Allergy-Free Wednesday posts, and that, by your entering, you are giving permission to use them and/or re-pin them via Pinterest. You also, by entering, guarantee that the picture is not someone else’s work , or else has a broad license (for example with stock photography put in public domain).

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Featured Recipes & Highlights

Each week AFW features the most most popular recipe from the previous week, and the six AFW hostesses will highlight their favorites. Please note that your submission must contain a link back to our Allergy-Free Wednesday's Blog Hop in order to be featured.

So without further ado...

May I present you with the most popular submission (most viewed by readers):

Gluten Free Lunchbox Recipes
From: Allergy Free Alaska

And here are my favorite recipes/posts from last week:

Perfect Chocolate Ice Cream
(vegan & paleo)
From: Oatmeal with a Fork

The Natural Remedy that Beat Antibiotics
From: Whole New Mom

Dessert You Can Eat for Breakfast:
Chocolate Cherry Zucchini Shake
From: Veggie Quest

Thanks for visiting Allergy-Free Wednesdays!

And thanks for being awesome and reading through our guidelines before linking up!
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Friday, August 23, 2013

Homemade NUT-Free Nutella

The Nutella you'll find in the store is made up of 55% refined sugar. Yep. There's dairy in there too, along with soy and yes a few hazelnuts I wouldn't call this a health food...or even a healthy choice for breakfast (or any time of the day). Okay, let's put this into perspective...eating Nutella is like eating a milk chocolate bar for, what some would agree, is the most important meal of the day. Now if that's your thing, than go on with your bad self, but you know how I feel about cane-sugar, so I say boo to Nutella. They were actually sued for mislabeling as a "health food." Ha ha, I think they considered it healthy because it had a few hazelnuts in there. I love indulgences as much as the next gal, but I try REALLY hard to make good choices when it comes to food, especially when it comes to my kiddos. If something can be made at home, I give it a go. Now Nutella, what is the appeal here really? It's chocolate. It spreads. It's sweet. It's different...okay, so it's clearly appealing. Agreed. I mean, it's chocolate in a jar! So I've created a chocolaty, sweet, spreadable, and nut free version that is quite a tasty alternative. Fun to mix it up for snack time. Give it a go and let me know what you think.

Homemade NUT-Free Nutella

Ingredients:

-5 dates

-1/2 cup homemade sunflower seed butter

-3 tablespoons raw cacao powder

-2 tablespoons honey (vegans use grade B maple syrup, coconut nectar, or yacon syrup)

-2 teaspoons vanilla extract

-Tiny pinch of salt

How To:

1. Seed the dates and soak them in water for 2 to 3 hours.

2. Drain the dates (save the date water for smoothies) and add the dates to a food processor with all the other above ingredients.

3. Blend until well incorporated.

4. Store spread in fridge. Allow it to sit at room temperature for a bit so it softens up. Makes it easier to spread.

Notes:

*If the spread is too thick for you, simply add in some coconut oil (1 tablespoon to start).

*This recipe is also fabulous with carob powder (instead of the cacao)

*Can't do dates? Try the same amount of figs or 1 cup of raisins - soak as you would the dates.

Here is a date free version I tried that's not as creamy, but still delicious and spreadable:

-1/4 cup coconut oil, liquid state

-1/2 cup homemade sunflower seed butter

-3 tablespoons raw cacao

-2 tablespoons honey (vegans use grade B maple syrup, coconut nectar, or yacon syrup)

-2 teaspoons vanilla extract

-Tiny pinch of salt

(Blend everything in a food processor)

Here is a picture of this date-free version at room temp.

It gets really firm in the fridge - sort of tastes like fudge!

Shared on: My Meatless Monday, Fat Tuesdays, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays. Allergy-Free Wednesdays, Wellness Weekend,

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Zughetti with Roasted Butternut Squash, Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Baked Chicken Topped with Lemon Garlic Cashew Sauce

I don't know about you, but I am always on the hunt for dinner ideas. I like to keep things fresh and different. For one, it helps me stay motivated to cook the dinner, and two, I think variety is important. I made this last week for dinner and everyone loved it. For me, the cashew cream sauce really made the dish and the overall favors were quite pleasing. The sweet butternut squash is nicely complimented by the sweet and tart tomatoes. The savory chicken adds in a nice texture and the fresh herbs with their earthy, fresh taste. The sauce is lemony with just the right amount of garlic, light and so creamy. You can add as much or as little sauce as you like...or none at all. It's sort of like an Alfredo sauce, but it won't kill your gut. Vegetarians can leave out the chicken and add more veggies or white beans would be great.

Salud.

Zughetti with Roasted Butternut Squash, Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Baked Chicken Topped with Lemon Garlic Cashew Sauce

(SCD, GAPS, Paleo)

Ingredients:

Zughetti

-1 medium butternut squash

-2 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes

-2 pounds chicken

-3 1/2 pounds zucchini

-A handful of fresh parsley and/or basil

Lemon Garlic Cashew Cream Sauce

-2 cups cashews soaked 4 - 6 hours

-1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups filtered water
-1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
-2 teaspoons garlic granules (or 1 fresh clove)
-1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice

How To:

1. Preheat the oven to 400.

2. Prepare the butternut squash by peeling and cubing. Add to a baking dish with 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil and 2 teaspoons garlic granules (optional). Set aside.

3. Wash the cherry tomatoes and cut them in half. Place them open face in a baking dish. Sprinkle with oil and salt. Set aside.

4. Add the chicken to a baking dish. Add in salt, onion granules and garlic granules (to your flavor preference, I do about 1 1/2 teaspoons of each). Add in 1/4 cup water. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of oil. Set side.

5. When the oven comes to temp, put everything into the oven together (the butternut, tomatoes, and chicken). Set timer for 30 minutes. This should be enough time for the tomatoes and chicken to finish (check for chicken's internal temp to be 180 degrees or more). The butternut squash takes about 45 minutes. So set the timer for an extra 15.

6. While everything is roasting and baking, make your zughetti and the cashew cream sauce.

7. For the zughetti, peel, trim ends, and spiralize the zucchini. Boil for 8 minutes in water. Allow to drain while you make the cashew cream sauce.

8. For the cashew cream sauce add the soaked and drained cashews to a blender along with all the other ingredients. Add in 1 1/4 cups water for a thicker sauce, and the 1 1/2 cups for a thinner sauce (as shown above).

9. When everything is out of the oven, build the dish. Zughetti, butternut, chicken, tomatoes, fresh herbs, and drizzle on that sauce!

Shared on: Fat Tuesdays, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Allergy-Free Wednesdays

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Allergy Free Wednesdays Week 81: August 21, 2013

Hello and welcome to Allergy-Free Wednesdays (AFW).

What can I link-up on AFW?

We welcome allergy-free cuisine in any shape or form
Tips & allergy related articles/information are welcome
Food allergies, intolerances, and sensitivities all welcome
Rules & Guidelines *Please provide a link directly to your post (not your homepage).
Please provide a link back to our weekly blog hop somewhere in your post.
Please provide a description of your recipe, such as DF (dairy free), GF (gluten free), SF (sugar free), V (vegan), etc.
Recipes do not have to be free of all common allergens, just allergy-free in some way.
TWO weekly submissions max please.
Grab yourself a badge and help support Allergy-Free Wednesdays and the allergy-free community.
Entries that don’t comply with stated rules and guidelines will be respectfully removed.

Please leave a comment after you link-up and tell us about your weekly submission(s). We love to hear from you!

_________________________________

Featured Recipes & Highlights

So without further ado...

May I present you with the most popular submission (most viewed by readers):

Grain and Dairy Free Bagels
From: Laura's Gluten Free Pantry

And here are my favorite recipes/posts from last week:

Cauliflower Couscous Salad with Plums & Prosciutto
From: Beyond The Peel

Chunky Strawberry Vegan Ice Cream
From: Vegan Richa

Date and Coconut Power Fudge Bars
From: The Fussiest Eater

Thanks for visiting Allergy-Free Wednesdays!

And thanks for being awesome and reading through our guidelines before linking up!
_________________________________

Monday, August 19, 2013

Zucchini Chai Spiced Muffins (gluten free, dairy free, cane-sugar free)

Looking for ways to use up that summer garden zucchini? Try using them in baked goods. These muffins are my latest baking conquest. With multiple attempts to get the texture and chai spice just right, they are ready to share. If you follow my blog, you know that I'm on a gluten free baking adventure and teaching myself how to bake and create no fuss, tasty recipes that are easy to replicate. So far, so good. My friend Jen has been making my chocolate chip banana muffins for months now and her family gobbles them up. Another friend enjoys my coconut blueberry muffins for her newly gluten and dairy free family. These chai spiced muffins have been taste tested by traditional eaters (about 6 different children on traditional diets) with thumbs up all around. So as always, a great stamp of approval.

Zucchini Chai Spiced Muffins

(gluten free, dairy free, cane-sugar free)

Ingredients:

Wet

-2 eggs room temperature (weighing 4.5 ounces in the shells)

-1/2 cup coconut sugar

-1/2 cup non dairy milk*

-1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

-1 cup peeled and grated zuchhini

-1/2 cup melted coconut oil

-1 teaspoon vanilla extract

-1/2 teaspoon vanilla or plain stevia

Dry

-100 grams sorghum flour (3/4 cup + 2 level tablespoons)

-100 grams brown rice flour (3/4 cup)

-60 grams tapioca starch/flour (1/2 cup)

-1 teaspoon baking powder

-1/2 teaspoon baking soda

-1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum

-1/2 teaspoon salt

Chai spices

-1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

-1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

-1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

-1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

-1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

How To:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. In a medium bowl, mix together all your dry ingredients including the chai spices.

2. Next, in a large bowl, add in the eggs, coconut sugar, coconut oil, milk, applesauce, vanilla, and stevia (please make sure everything is room temperature). Beat on medium with a hand mixer for 30 seconds.

3. Add in the dry ingredients. Mix gently to incorporate then beat on medium with hand mixer for 15 seconds.

4. Add in the zucchini and gently mix by hand until incorporated.

5. Fill batter to near the top of the muffin cups, sprinkle with coconut sugar, and add a little square of zucchini.

6. Bake for 18 minutes.

7. Remove muffins from tin and cool on rack.

Makes 12 - 15 muffins

Notes:
*Try homemade non-dairy milks for great results: Almond, Walnut, Hazelnut, Macadamia, Hemp.
*For baking, I suggest following the weight of the ingredients exactly. This might mean investing in a small kitchen scale. I cannot guarantee results if the recipe is not followed as specified and measurements are not accurate...just sayin'.
*For wet ingredients use only a 1 cup glass Pyrex for measuring. *For dry, use metal measuring cups. And when measuring flours, spoon the flours into the measuring cup, then level off with a knife. Never pack in the flour.
*The muffins will stay moist for 3 or 4 full days at room temp in a container.
*Oh, and I use these large baking muffin cups.

Here are my other baking recipes
(all gluten free, dairy free, cane-sugar free)

Banana Walnut Bread

Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

Coconut Blueberry Muffins

Strawberry Coconut Cake

And stayed tuned for these chocolate cupcakes comin' atcha soon

Shared on: Fat Tuesdays, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Allergy Free Wednesdays, My Meatless Monday,

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Allergy Free Wednesdays Week 80: August 14, 2013

Hello and welcome to Allergy-Free Wednesdays (AFW).

This is a weekly blog hop hosted by myself and six other fabulous allergy-free bloggers. Your weekly submissions will be shared on all 7 blogs! Check back each week for reader favorites and recipe highlights.

Before linking up - PLEASE click HERE to review rules, guidelines, and legal information. Thank you!
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Featured Recipes & Highlights

So without further ado...

May I present you with the most popular submission (most viewed by readers):

Why I Gave Up Peanut Butter
From: Real Food Forager

And here are my favorite recipes/posts from last week:

Testing Essential Oils - It Is Reliable?
From: Whole New Mom

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
(gluten free, vegan, extra moist)
From: Tessa The Domestic Diva

Cauliflower Rice
From: Gluten Free, SCD, and Veggie

Thanks for visiting Allergy-Free Wednesdays!

And thanks for being awesome and reading through our guidelines before linking up!
_________________________________

Monday, August 12, 2013

Coconut Mango Spinach Smoothie (dairy free)

Need a kid-approved green smoothie? Join me today over at Green Thickies as I share a new green smoothie recipe with you...sure to please children and adults alike!

Click HERE for the recipe.
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Shared on: Fat Tuesdays, Allergy-Free Wednesday, Raw Foods Thursdays , Wellness Weekend ,Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays

Friday, August 9, 2013

Zughetti with Mushroom Fennel Pasta Sauce (SCD/GAPS/Paleo)

I was surprised by the interest in this recipe I posted on FB last week. I figure zucchini pasta is such old news by now as I've been making my sun dried tomato and artichoke heart zucchini pasta for about a year and a half (and freaking LOVE it). Also check out my raw pesto sauce with zucchini and carrot noodles. Well, turning squash into noodles may be a standard in our house, but it's not common for everyone. Anyway, it's a good reminder that everybody is on a different journey and at different points on their journey. This recipe is near and dear to my heart. The meat sauce is based on my Gramie's pasta sauce recipe. I love making it because the smells bring me right back into her kitchen. As you might know from reading my blog, I spent a lot of time with my grandparents growing up and lived with them for many years of my life (in childhood and as a teenager). And I was exposed to my Gramie's deep, devout love for food and her passionate cooking and baking (everything was from scratch). I made a few adjustments from the original pasta sauce recipe, but it's still wonderful and lovely and if she were still alive today, I have no doubt she would gobble this up...and laugh hysterically at these funky little non-pasta noodles.

Zughetti with Mushroom Fennel Pasta Sauce

Ingredients:

-3 to 4 pounds of zucchini (I do 3 1/2 lbs)

Sauce

-2 1/4 cups homemade marinara sauce or THIS is my favorite store brand (it's in a glass jar, organic, and salt free)

-2 pounds ground turkey

-1/2 cup chopped onion

-1 chopped fennel bulb (1 1/4 cup)

-2 cups chopped mushrooms

-1/4 cup coconut vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)

-1 tablespoon coconut sugar (or sub: honey, maple syrup)

-2 tablespoons coconut oil + 2 tablespoons coconut oil

-1 teaspoons salt + 1/2 teaspoon + 1/2 teaspoon

-2 teaspoons garlic granules

-1/4 cup fresh chopped basil

-1/2 teaspoon dried oregano and basil (both optional)

How To:

Sauce

1. In a large skillet add 2 tablespoons of oil, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, onions, and fennel and saute 5 minutes on medium heat. Add in the mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon salt and saute for 3 minutes.

2. Move the onion mixture to the sides of the pan, add the two final tablespoons of coconut oil to the middle of the pan and then add the ground turkey in the middle, chopping it up, browning, and incorporating it with the onion mixture.

3. After the meat and onion mixture are well combined and the meat is starting to brown, add in the garlic granules and the final teaspoon of salt.

4. Now add in the marinara sauce, the vinegar, and coconut sugar. Mix everything together, turn down to low, and cover for 20 minutes.

5. Turn off heat, remove the cover and add in the fresh chopped basil and additional dried spices (optional).

Pasta

1. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil

2. While the water is coming to a boil, peel and trim edges off zucchini. Make sure the cuts are straight to work best in the spiralizer.

3. Create the zucchini noodles. I love this gadget or this peeler works too.

4. Place noodles in the boiling water for 4 minutes (I love the texture at this cook time).

5. Drain into a colander and allow the water to drain off for 5 or 10 minutes or so (you could also rid excess water by spinning in a salad spinner).

6. Plate the zucchini noodles (zughetti) and top with the sauce and fresh basil (or parsley).

Serves 4 to 5

Notes: